In the Netflix show Ugly Delicious, there are lots of amazing things that happen. And because of that, I want to do Ugly Design. What that exactly means, I’m not sure. Yet...
Culture Break: 06/18
The second installment in an ongoing monthly series on the cultural things that break through the noise and touch the soul.
Dear White People v.2
TV SHOW — Oh this show. I was way into the first season. There were episodes that after ending I would just sit there, a little stunned. Some of the issues in the show remind me of my college experience, some not so much, and some seem so messy and complicated I’m just trying to keep up. It’s beautifully composed, timely and timeless. One of those shows that’s fun to watch and feels important at the same time.
Print to Resist
WEBSITE — There is power in a poster. For what it says and what it leaves out. In a time when our rights are worth fighting for and our voices must be heard, the Print to Resist gallery is a powerful resource for standing up for what we believe in.
Revisionist History Season 3
PODCAST — Need a podcast recommendation? This one is my favorite. Malcolm Gladwell assembles some of the most thought-provoking breakdowns of tough subjects I’ve ever heard. From this season, the episodes on memories are absolutely mind-blowing.
Death & Co
BOOK — Hobbies are good to have. And as I try to fuse my love of fine liquor, precise craftsmanship, and following the directions closely, my wife got me a beautiful book full of what I can only assume are the best cocktail recipes in the world. Would you like something shaken or stirred? Whiskey or gin? Up or on the rocks?
The Ultimate CCR Playlist
PLAYLIST — There I was, in the desert, barreling down the freeway in a rented Ford Focus on my way to Moreno Valley by way of Palm Springs. Cutting through mountains, dipping into valleys, windows all the way open, speeding past semi-truck after semi-truck under that beautiful California sun, the radio cranking that urgent, visceral vocal that made me think of another time when America was teetering on the precipice of collapsing national values in the midst of a crisis of confidence so large the fullness of Creedence was the only thing that could help a troubled soul tolerate the fever pitch of injustice after injustice because it’s for damn sure I’m no fortunate son either.
Father John Misty, God’s Favorite Customer
ALBUM — Overly dramatic. Self absorbed. Kinda whiny. These are some of my own least favorite qualities, not things I look for in my music. But the new Father John Misty is so good. It’s so very Father John Misty and I find myself completely captivated and unable to stop listening. It’s honest. These days, that’s all I can ask for.
Anthony Bourdain, WTF
PODCAST — Like a lot of people, I was stunned by the news of Bourdain’s death. Shook me hard. The following day Marc Maron posted his interview with him from 2011. A wonderful conversation about life, work, failure, struggle, and adventure.
Frontier
MAGAZINE — Beginnings. Stress. Darkness. These are the themes of the first three issues of a publication that explores and celebrates the risks people take in the process of creating something original and worthwhile. It’s absolutely beautiful. The design is impeccable and the stories compelling. It’s a reminder of why the Internet is a poor substitute for reading and why print will never die.
Eric Wareheim’s Instagram Account
WEIRDNESS — Few things on social media are better than posts like this. I’m not super familiar with the antics of Mr. Wareheim, aside from his role on Master of None, but I will say I’m certainly a fan.
What America Needs
America needs to look forward if it truly wants to be great. It needs to embrace change because that’s how anything is able to evolve and stand the test of time.
America needs a sustainable, clean energy future so we all don’t choke on our own dirty sludge. But we can’t because one side insists global warming is a hoax.
We need a robust, modern democracy so our society can work for as many people as possible. But we can’t because one side is fighting to keep marginalized groups from voting.
We need to provide health care for all our citizens so everyone can live a healthy life to its fullest potential and not end up bankrupt. But we can’t because one side refuses to do anything with health care that involves the biggest player: the United States government.
We need a culture that puts people’s lives above gun rights. We need to establish full gender equality and close all the gaps that need closing: wage, opportunity, achievement, etc. And to do all that we need to have a real discussion with the many, many voices in America. This requires having at least two (maybe more) political parties in our government who are serious about governing in present-day reality.
Two Forces
- Buying things makes you happy.
- Life is, ultimately, about people.
These are the two forces at odds in an epic battle for our souls in our modern society.
Down on the Corner of Repeal and Republican
In the year and many months Obamacare was worked on, with all the hearings, all the testimony, all the speeches, all the effort to make concessions to Republicans, still not a one of those know-nothings supported it. Instead, they stalled and whined and attacked relentlessly. In the years since its passage, they have shouted “repeal” at every opportunity. They kept shouting all the way until they actually had the chance to repeal the law but instead, thankfully, Republicans were more interested in shouting rather than legislating.
This career is made up of ...
... so many ideas that failed to materialize, designs that were sub-par, writing that didn’t make sense, campaigns that were not successful, suggestions that were stupid, concepts that were thrown away, projects that fell flat, final files that looked sloppy, graphics that weren’t shared by any one, posts that weren’t liked by any one, solutions that were wrong, epiphanies that didn’t resonate, and plenty of times where everything just felt off and wrong and stupid.
And yet, we keep going anyway.
Ask any committed practitioner in any creative profession and they will tell the same thing.
So there you go, I’m being redundant again.
Carry on.
Odd, with distance
These things seem odd to me when you experience them again for the first time in awhile:
TV Commercials
Smoking
Catholic Mass
Airport Security
Snakes
The band Rush
Professional Wrestling
Big Gulps
Cable News
Car Salesmen
All snacks made by Hostess
Facebook
In all of these, there is either an obvious or elusive alternative. Regardless, they’re just odd.
